Above, two portraits from a new series by photographer Carlos Alvarez Montero, "Scars." These guys are Orestes and Miguel. From the statement at Alvarez's website:
This series is composed of 20 portraits of residents of Mexico City that decided to engrave ink marks on their neck/faces as a statement of their life experiences. This allows them to step out of the crowd, define themselves as unique, and by no means look back. Just forward.
See more there. They're eye-catching images, with lots of concurrent facial piercings, and different tribal aesthetics at play that I'm able to read, including punk, cholo, rockabilly, mod, and neo-indigenismo.
It's a reminder that tattoo is not only a culture to itself but a vital tool of expression for many subcultures that are seemingly unrelated to one another. A love of tatuaje, which I also share, is the binding glue.
* Previously, "Intersections at Postopolis: Punks, cholos, and your rights."